A device for use in changing the printing plates of a plate cylinders of a printing press that can have multiple plate cylinders is known from WO 2004/085160 A1. The plate changing device can comprise a storage device with an infeed chute and a removal chute. The storage device can be positioned above or below a horizontal plane that extends through the axis of rotation of each plate cylinder to which a storage device is assigned. The publication further describes a printing tower with U-printing units which are arranged one above another. A plate changing device with a storage device is assigned to each of the plate cylinders. The plate changing device for each of the respective plate cylinders is located above a horizontal plane that extends through the rotational axis of the assigned plate cylinder. This generally known plate changing device for each of the plate cylinders is always positioned in the same area around the circumference of the respective plate cylinder to which it is assigned. This positioning is possible with a U-printing unit because the plate cylinders of a printing unit, which are situated opposite one another and which can be operated from different sides of the side frame, rotate in opposite rotational directions during production.
DE 10 2004 052 021 A1 and DE 40 03 445 C2 both describe printing plate gripper devices with suction components.
EP 1 435 292 A1 describes devices for supplying printing plates to a flexographic satellite printing unit.
A printing plate with plate ends that are both bent at the same angle is known from DD 261 769 A1.
DE 197 56 796 A1 describes a sheet-fed printing press. The plate cylinders of this printing press support different printing plates on their respective circumferences.
The subsequently published WO 2006/136047 A2, the subsequently published DE 10 2005 029 167 A1 and the subsequently published DE 10 2005 042 756 A1 all describe printing plates with ends that are bent at the same angle.
The subsequently published DE 10 2005 046 303 A1, the subsequently published DE 10 2006 004 330 B3 and the subsequently published DE 10 2006 028 434 A1 and describe plate changing devices which are intended for use in connection with satellite printing units.
WO 02/07942 A1 shows a satellite printing unit with plate changing devices.
DE 10 2004 052 020 A1 discloses a method for operating a printing unit having at least one printing couple with a plate cylinder and having at least one printing plate which can be mounted on the plate cylinder and which at least one carries a print image. The printing plate is or can be fastened using a first angled end, which in print operation is its leading end, in a cylinder groove of a plate cylinder. The plate can also be fastened with a second angle end, which in print operation is its trailing end, in the same cylinder groove or in another cylinder groove which is provided on the plate cylinder.
The subsequently published DE 10 2005 042 756 A1 and WO 2007/028268 A1 both describe a process of rotating plate cylinder counter to the production direction during the mount of printing plates on those plate cylinders.
WO 03/031180 A2 discloses a nine-cylinder satellite printing unit. The plate cylinders of the printing unit are driven by position-controlled drive motors, independently of one another. The forme cylinders are loaded with printing formes using contact pressure devices.
DE 198 04 106 A1 discloses a printing unit having four printing couples. Every two cooperating printing couples are structured as blanket-to-blanket printing couples for double-sided printing of a web. To mount the printing formes on plate cylinders in the printing couples, in an upper printing couple, the top-side suspension angling of the printing forme is first placed in a clamping groove of the assigned forme cylinder, and in a lower printing couple, the bottom-side suspension angling of the printing forme is first placed in a clamping groove of the assigned forme cylinder. The printing formes are then mounted by rotating the forme cylinder in the rotation direction C or C′, respectively. It is not disclosed how the rotational directions C and C′ relate to the directions of rotation in production. Additionally, no reference is made to the second, lower printing couple.